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There have been a bunch of goals already taken back at the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to offside rules.
And for those who don't watch soccer a lot, it can be a tricky rule to understand.
It depends on when the ball is played, so if a player is beyond the last defender when the pass is contacted, there's offside.
Of course, it doesn't apply on the defensive side of midfield, or on throw-ins, or on corner kicks.
There are other nuances that matter, too.
The good news is that there have been so many instances of it in this World Cup that memes are getting made.
That includes this one of comedian Nate Bargatze, who did a fun skit about what the United States would be like from George Washington's perspective:
"But a goal will not count if a player is offsides."
"When is a player offsides?"
"Whenever anything exciting happens." pic.twitter.com/ldUYe5D8LP— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) July 3, 2026
MORE: The case for Folarin Balogun's red card
This isn't something Bargatze actually said, but it feels like it could apply.
Offside is actually a solid rule, one that impacts the entire structure of how the sport is played in a positive fashion.
But the narrow margins of it often feel fickle, and it has changed big moments at this World Cup.
So while the Bargatze meme isn't totally right, it also definitely has a point.
More FIFA World Cup news:
- USA, England can meet on the biggest World Cup stage
- Why Norway brought 600 pounds of salmon to the World Cup
- Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo usage makes no sense
- With Messi, history and magic go hand in hand
- The greatest goal in Canada men's soccer history
Billy Heyen
Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim's basketball team around the country. His reporting work has also included extensive high school sports coverage at the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Adventures in sports writing have also led to in-person coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men's national soccer team and a variety of minor league baseball stories. When people ask if he's seen a movie, the answer is usually "No, I was probably watching sports." Even away from sports, his main hobby is running (much slower than any athlete in these pages).
Source: Sporting News
